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The IDS 24 hour bread-a-thon: it’s the yeast we can do

Published on 22 March 2021

This Friday 26 March, the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) will be hosting a 24 hour bread-a-thon that aims to make more than three thousand loaves of bread and soup for the East Brighton Food Cooperative to distribute to those facing food shortages across Brighton and Hove. The baking will start at 3pm on Friday 26 March, run through the night and finish at 3pm on Saturday.

The IDS catering team will be volunteering their time and kitchens for the bread-a-thon and using 350kg of bread flour donated by Savona Foods, a supplier to the IDS kitchen. The initiative is a partnership between IDS and The Thomas Franks Feeding Communities Charitable Foundation and the East Brighton Food Cooperative who will distribute the bread and soup locally.

To date, the Feeding Communities Charitable Foundation has created and distributed over 500,000 fresh meals and one million food products across the UK for a range of recipients including NHS workers, vulnerable people in local communities and families facing food poverty.

The East Brighton Food Co-operative cooks and distributes 230 meals per day, 7 days a week and since lockdown began has provided over 70,000 meals city wide in Brighton & Hove. They began making their fresh nutritious daily meals for those in need in East Brighton, an area facing food shortages as a result of austerity and the Covid-19 lockdown and have found their are many who need help all over the city.

Their amazing volunteer team make and deliver those meals directly to anyone who needs a freshly cooked nutritious meal. The isolated in our community, those in temporary accommodation, families, the elderly, the homeless, those suffering from mental or physical disabilities and those in need of care. They hope to tackle food inequality within Brighton and Hove and in non-covid times, run workshops, events, educational cookery classes and promote healthy eating.

Melissa Leach, Director at the Institute of Development Studies said:

“I am delighted that the Institute of Development Studies is able to play a small role in helping deliver food to those people facing shortages across Brighton and Hove. While IDS works with people all over the world who are facing hunger, food shortages and other forms of adversity, it is important to remember that these are issues affecting people right here at home.”

Ness Donaldson, Head of Facilities at the Institute of Development Studies said:

“The bread-a-thon is all about creating supporting the Feeding Communities Foundation and the East Brighton Food Co-operative. We want to raise awareness for the amazing work that they are doing and would encourage people to volunteer or donate money so that they can keep up their work across Brighton”.

Research from The Food Foundation, with support from Kings College London, found that 14 per cent of families with children in the UK have experienced food shortages in the last six months. Alongside the bread-a-thon, IDS is helping in Brighton and Hove by partnering with Feeding Communities and the East Brighton Food Co-operative to provide 100 meals a week for four weeks over the Easter period. Both organisations rely on donations and volunteers to enable their work. To find our more please see the East Brighton Food Co-operative UK and Feeding Communities websites.

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